Tariff Pain Is Contagious
This week we're looking ahead to IMF-World Bank week. Plus, US startup funding is retreating back to the coasts, AI bosses are joining the Zoom meeting, and box office sales are getting harder to predict.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNET
16 hours ago
- CNET
Tired of Slow Wi-Fi? These 4 Easy Router Tweaks Are Your Solution
Like most everyone I know, I rely on the internet for pretty much everything: streaming, working, gaming and keeping all my smart devices running smoothly. A fast, stable internet connection isn't a luxury anymore; it's a must. But even though I'm paying for gigabit internet, I still run into random slowdowns and frustrating Wi-Fi dead zones in the house. If you've been in the same boat, you get it. It's annoying when your speeds don't match what you're paying for, especially as the price of internet tends to increase year over year. The good news is that there are a few easy tweaks that can seriously boost your internet performance -- and you don't have to be a tech expert to do them. To keep your Wi-Fi running smoothly, consider these simple tips and tricks, designed to optimize your Wi-Fi set-up and keep your Zoom meetings and gaming sessions running uninterrupted. Read More: Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers for 2025 1. Invest in the right router for your space First things first: you can trace a lot of connection issues back to your equipment. It all starts with choosing the right router. Not all routers are the same, and your wireless speeds depend on variables like the size and layout of your home. Locating local internet providers A single wireless access point should suffice for most apartments and smaller homes (under 1,500 square feet). If your router is several years old, consider upgrading to a newer model or Wi-Fi 6E. That's not the latest and greatest generation of Wi-Fi technology -- that would be Wi-Fi 7 -- but it's newer than what most have in their homes and should give you faster wireless speeds and better overall coverage for a good price. For bigger, multilevel homes, it's worth considering upgrading to a mesh network to offer consistent coverage throughout the house. If you install the main access point and find that a far corner of your home doesn't have solid wireless coverage, just add another node to that area. Problem solved. To learn more, check out our list of the best mesh routers. If you need some additional guidance, consult our router buying guide. It's worth noting that where you place the primary access point still matters, regardless of whether you have a single access point or a mesh network. 2. Find the best place for your router Chris Monroe/CNET When you first move into a new home or apartment, the modem is usually installed along the wall in one of the far reaches of the house. This is simply because that's where the line comes into the house and the technician's job is to set up the connection, not optimize your network. That part is up to you. It's tempting to leave everything where the technician set it up, especially if you feel clueless about the best place to put a router, but it's unlikely that the original location is the most optimal place for your router. That said, location might just be the most important consideration when trying to boost your Wi-Fi. Even if you have the newest router technology, you might not be getting the fastest speeds if your router is poorly placed. Here Are The Wi-Fi Range Extenders We Recommend Here Are The Wi-Fi Range Extenders We Recommend Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:01 / Duration 4:45 Loaded : 3.64% 0:01 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 4:44 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Here Are The Wi-Fi Range Extenders We Recommend Choose a central location Routers send the signal out in all directions. If you keep your router in the left corner of the house, you're losing wireless coverage, and if your neighbors can guess your Wi-Fi password, they can easily access your network. Moving the router to a central location is your best bet for consistent speeds (and network security). Installing a router across the house from the modem may prove troublesome. It may require manually running an especially long Ethernet cable under the floor or along the bottom of your walls, or enlisting the help of power line network adapters, which use your home's electrical wiring to pass an internet signal from point to point. The improved wireless coverage will be worth it. If you're curious about the difference between a Wi-Fi and Ethernet connection, former CNET broadband writer Hallie Seltzer tested both connections at her house to determine which worked better. Raise the router Routers tend to spread their strongest signals downward, so it's best to mount the router as high as possible to maximize coverage. Try placing it high on a bookshelf or mounting it on the wall. Search online, and you'll find many custom wall mounts built for specific routers, like this stick-up mount for the Eero Pro 6 mesh router. A router mount is an easy solution if you're struggling to find an elevated spot for your router without a tangle of messy cords. Avoid other electronics Pick a location that's away from other electronics and large metal objects. The more walls, large obstructions and electronics near your router, the higher the chances are that something will interfere with the strength of your signal. One type of electronic device to especially avoid is the microwave, which emits a strong signal in the 2.4GHz band, the same wireless band your router operates in. Be careful not to stick your router behind a large TV, which can cause electronic interference while also physically blocking or disrupting the signal. Along with electronics, keep an eye out for bulky furniture and the like that might be limiting the signal's reach. Wi-Fi doesn't travel well through water, for instance, so if you have an aquarium in your home, try to avoid situations where it'll be in between your router and the device that needs to connect. 3. Change Wi-Fi channels The Wi-Fi bands your router uses affect your speeds, but it's pretty easy to switch between channels. Most routers come with 2.4Ghz or 5GHz channels -- you can think of those channels as the highway your internet network uses to transmit data. More advanced routers, like the Wi-Fi 6E and the Wi-Fi 7, come equipped with a 6GHz channel. You should be able to switch your router's Wi-Fi band in the Wi-Fi network settings, though that may differ slightly depending on the router. While most routers use a dual-band technology, which allows them to use both frequencies at the same time, you may be able to choose a Wi-Fi band to prioritize. The 2.4GHz band offers a wider range but is slower than the 5GHz band. Conversely, the 5GHz band is faster, but it struggles with short range and keeping your entire house connected at fast speeds. Still, switching channels is a quick solution to slow Wi-Fi. 4. Set up your Wi-Fi antennas properly Some routers have no antennas at all, but some have up to eight. These antennas help direct the signal. If there are two or more antennas on your router, don't position them all in the same direction. Instead, make them perpendicular to one another -- position one horizontally and the other vertically. Or slightly change the position of all the antennas to cover a wide range of angles. You might have to experiment with speed tests to find the most effective configuration. The signal from each of those antennas will come out like a wave traveling in all directions, and that wave will be perpendicular to the antenna itself, so a vertical antenna is going to be more helpful in single-story homes, while a horizontal or angled antenna is going to put out a signal that travels upward, which might be more useful in a multistory home. Wi-Fi mapping software like NetSpot can help you visualize your network's strengths, making it easier to address weak spots. Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET 5. Map your Wi-Fi signal In worst-case scenarios, you may have to map out the Wi-Fi signal in your home to find dead zones and analyze the range of coverage. Several years ago, we used the NetSpot software to map out the signal strength throughout the CNET Smart Home. Ultimately, we got a great look at the weak spots in our Wi-Fi network, which helped us shore things up by moving our hardware to more optimal locations.
Business Insider
18 hours ago
- Business Insider
Zimbabwe's ZiG posts biggest gain yet on soaring gold reserves
Zimbabwe's gold-backed currency, the ZiG, recorded its biggest single-day gain against the U.S. dollar this year. Zimbabwe's gold-backed currency, the ZiG, has seen its largest single-day gain against the US dollar this year by 0.2%, trading at 26.89 per dollar. This appreciation is supported by a 46% increase in gold production in the first half of the year, with 20,104 kilograms produced. This surge in gold output has significantly increased Zimbabwe's foreign reserves, enhancing the financial stability of the ZiG. Zimbabwe's gold-backed currency, the ZiG, recorded its biggest single-day gain against the U.S. dollar this year, buoyed by a sharp increase in gold production and stronger foreign currency reserves. The ZiG appreciated by 0.2% on Friday, trading at 26.89 per dollar, according to data published on the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe's website. It marked only the 12th time the currency has strengthened against the dollar in 2025, according to Bloomberg. The boost comes as gold production rose nearly 46% in the first half of the year to 20,104 kilograms, according to Fidelity Refineries, the country's sole gold refinery. June alone saw a 63% year-on-year surge in output. This increase in bullion output has helped triple Zimbabwe's foreign reserves, offering a much-needed buffer for the country's fledgling currency and economy, the central bank said. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe last month reported that it now holds 3.4 tons of gold in its reserves, more than double the 1.5 tons it had in storage when the ZiG currency was first introduced in April last year. IMF expresses cautious optimism Last month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expressed support for the ZiG, stating that it hopes to see the currency evolve into Zimbabwe's sole legal tender under a potential staff-monitored program. The currency is Zimbabwe's sixth attempt in 15 years to establish a stable local currency, and it is backed by 2.5 tons of gold and $100 million in foreign currency reserves held by the central bank. However, despite its gold backing, the ZiG has struggled to win the public's trust.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Bloomberg
IMF Sees Nigeria Fiscal Deficit Widening
The IMF expects Nigeria's fiscal deficit to reach 4.7% of GDP in 2025. Despite lower oil prices widening its budget gap, economic reforms in Africa's biggest crude producer have improved. Bloomberg's Anthony Osae-Brown spoke to Lizzy Burden on Bloomberg Horizons Middle East and Africa (Source: Bloomberg)
